Oh Nuts!

[Mike_The_Grad]

I'm reassembling the front end of my '72 c10.

I had the bright idea of throwing ALL of the bolts, nuts, washers, clips, ETC. Into a bucket thinking "I'll remember where they go...." 😒

Needless to say 8 months later my "Photographic Memory" is a little fuzzy. 😁
I do possess the service manual, factory assembly manual, access to the internet, and this wonderful website.

I've managed to figure out most of what goes where with just plain common sense, (that bolt is to big/small to go there, I'd have way to many left over bolts if I use these there, I dont have enough bolts to put these there, etc.)

What I'm stuck on is which bolts/clips/nuts to use for the outer fender to core support, core support to outer fender gussets, hood catch to core support, hood catch to center grille support, center grille support to core support, and center grille support to inner grille and the outer grille. I think they are all 5/16" bolts with captured washers for most part. But there are different lengths and different size washers(small or wide), some are tapered, tapered and fully threaded, or standard bolt end.
Obviously there are certain bolts for certain areas, I dont have the luxury of being able to count out the bolts to single out their uses because there are standard bolts and nuts that were used as a "quick fix" by the previous owner.
I have my inner fender to outer fender, and fender to cab bolts figured out. So I'm good there.

Pics would be awesome and very much appreciated.
I wish these old manuals were just a little more detailed on the bolts in these areas. But heck, I'm thankful they even exist.☺

[special-K]

Could you take pictures with different types separated? Then we can tell you what is what based on what you have.

[Mike_The_Grad]

Sure. I'll snap some later today.

[saxart]

If you end up having trouble figuring it out, use the shorter bolts to go where sheet metal joins with other sheet metal and the fastener isn't hidden on either end, and use the longer bolts where the "long end" of the fastener can't be seen once it is installed.

[Leonard60]

You could buy another truck and as you tear it apart you could reassemble the first one. Then down the road you could use the first truck to reassemble the second truck. Lol that's how I'd likely do it.

[Mike_The_Grad]

Leonard60, great minds think alike.��
It comes from a self taught teenager that was afraid to touch anything for fear of screwing something up that was perfectly fine to begin with.

Saxart,
Common sense leads the way at the loss of direction. Thank you for your "too sense".

I'll post pics of what I end up with.

[In The Ten Ring]

There is a thread on here where a guy posted pics with measurements and location.

I may have saved it, let me look. OK, not on this laptop, maybe on mom's.

I know this much, going by socket size:

1/2" for fenders to core support in all locations.

9/16" for rear fender to cab (3 bolts, 2 top, 1 bottom)

9/16" for hood hinges

I did label most all my bolts, but ended up going with a "front end kit" of bolts from Classic Industries as those already had a new phosphate coating on them.

[NorCalC20LWB]

I happen to have my front end taken apart at the moment, and did baggy/label all the bolts. If you need a particular size let me know and I can measure or take a pic of the bolt for you.

[Mike_The_Grad]

In the ten ring and norcalc20lwb. I appreciate your replies. A buddy of mine came by lastnight and helped me figure out the ones I was having trouble with. Which were the 60 or so 5/16" bolts i had dumped out on my workbench. It's amazing how simple these front ends go together once you see how the factory did it. Lol.
The last time I did this I found myself trying to use a prybar to get bolts to thread into some holes.
YEAH, that's how inexperienced I was.

I had to take a step back and remind myself that this wasn't the way they did it in the factory. LOL.
After thumbing through the manuals, things are going a lot smoother and quicker this time. I haven't had to get the prybar out yet.

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

TS just means truck side. I got carried away.


Fender mounts to the gusset & core support using four (GR 5) 1/2" recessed hex tapered bolts with integrated washers. The bolt threads are 5/16-18 x 7/8. NOTE: The bolt heads are stamped with an "E".

Hood latch assembly mounts to the core support, hood latch support and outer grille using four (GR 5) 7/16" double hex tapered bolts with integrated washers. The bolt threads are 5/16-18 x 7/8. This also mounts using one (GR 5) 1/2" recessed hex tapered bolt with integrated washer. The bolt thread is 5/16-18 x 7/8. The recessed hex bolt was located in the center of the assembly on the RH (TS). NOTE: The double hex bolts are stamped "RBM". The recessed hex bolt is stamped "E".

The front two bolts mount the hood latch to the outer grille. One bolt goes through the outer grille and into the hood latch support. The other bolt screws into a J-nut on the outer grille.

Hood latch support mounts to the core support using one (GR 5) 7/16" double hex head tapered bolt with an integrated washer. The bolt thread is 5/16-18 x 7/8. The nut for this is located near the bottom center on front of the core support. NOTE: The bolt is stamped "RBM".

U-Nut: A U-nut inserts into the top of the outer grille, located at the hole on top of the LH (TS) portion of the grille. The U-Nut is 5/8" (W) x 1" (L), and the center hole to edge is 9/16". NOTES: This U-nut is stamped "M". This is for the hood latch assembly.

Outer grille to brackets: Mount the outer grille to the grille brackets using eight rivets per side. Four rivets on top of each corner of the grille, one above and one below the headlight bezel, and two at the bottom. NOTE: An alternative to pop rivets are stainless rivet screws and KEP nuts.

Inner grille to hood latch support: The center of the inner grille mounts to the hood latch support in four places, as follows:

• Top hole: 3/8 flange tap screw and U-nut. The screw thread is 1/4 x 5/8. The U-nut is 7/16 x 11/16, with a 3/8 center hole to edge. NOTE: The screw head is stamped "RBM".

• Second hole from the top: Same as top hole.

• Third hole from the top: 7/16 hex bolt and nut. The bolt thread is 1/4 x 1/2. The bolt was inserted from the rear. NOTE: The bolt head is stamped "RBM".

• Bottom hole: 3/8 flange tap screw with a slotted head and U-nut. The screw thread is 1/4 x 5/8. The U-nut is 3/4 (W) x 9/16 (L), with a 3/8 center hole to edge. The U-nut slips onto the support from the front.

[mike16]

Ahhhh. that photographic memory, kinda like fondest memories

[Mike_The_Grad]

71CHEVYSHORTBED402, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!
That is exactly the information I'm looking for! Wow, if there is more of that somewhere linkable I would love to have the link. And to whoever invested their time to go into that amount of detail I Thank them as well.
I'm assuming double hex equates to 12-point? Because I have those in a can and I could not for the life of me remember or figure out what the hell those were for.
mike16, LOL. It is isnt it? Very memorable, but not quite exactly as it happened.

Here's a few pics of the progress. Most of this work is done at night because my dads work schedule has changed recently and he sleeps during the day. Adding a level of difficulty to the rebuild. Like finding dropped bolts,washers,nuts. I haven't even checked the alignment of things yet, wouldn't be surprised to find it all out of whack. "But it looks good at night!"
I'll figure out these sideways pictures some day

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

Originally Posted by Mike_The_Grad

71CHEVYSHORTBED402, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!
That is exactly the information I'm looking for! Wow, if there is more of that somewhere linkable I would love to have the link. And to whoever invested their time to go into that amount of detail I Thank them as well.
I'm assuming double hex equates to 12-point? Because I have those in a can and I could not for the life of me remember or figure out what the hell those were for.
mike16, LOL. It is isnt it? Very memorable, but not quite exactly as it happened.

Here's a few pics of the progress. Most of this work is done at night because my dads work schedule has changed recently and he sleeps during the day. Adding a level of difficulty to the rebuild. Like finding dropped bolts,washers,nuts. I haven't even checked the alignment of things yet, wouldn't be surprised to find it all out of whack. "But it looks good at night!"
I'll figure out these sideways pictures some day

"kind of" a manual I'm writing........Bad OCD, bad. Yes, double hex is 12 point.